Wednesday Liturgy: Follow-up: Eastertide Holy Water and Statues
ROME, MAY 4, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university.
Pursuant to our comments on the use of a statue of the Risen Christ at Eastertide (see April 20), a reader from Lagos, Nigeria, asked about statues during Lent. The question was: "Please, why do we cover up all the statutes and crucifixes in the church with purple cloth, two weeks [prior] to Easter? Do we extend the practice to our individual homes by covering all the statues and crucifixes in our offices, homes, etc.? Any historical explanation?"
Although the custom is evidently a sign of sadness and penance that goes well with the overall Lenten climate, the historical origin of the custom is probably found elsewhere.
In all probability the custom derives from a medieval usage of extending a large veil or curtain in front of the altar at the beginning of Lent, hiding it completely from view. This fabric, of which there is evidence from the ninth century, was called the cloth of hunger (Hungertuch) in Germany.
This veil was removed on proclaiming the words "The veil of the temple was rent in two" during the reading of the Passion on Holy Wednesday.
There are probably several reasons for this practice. First of all, it was a practical way of informing an illiterate population that Lent had begun. It might also have been a vestige of the ancient practice of expelling public penitents from the church at the beginning of Lent. In time, public penance disappeared, but with the advent of Ash Wednesday all Christians in a sense ritually entered into the order of penitents. It being no longer possible to expel everybody from the church, this was done symbolically by shrouding the Holy of Holies until all were reconciled with God at Easter.
Following the same principle, many churches in the later Middle Ages began to cover the statues and crosses from the beginning of Lent. In the 17th century the bishops' ceremonial manual limited the veiling to Passiontide or from the Fifth Sunday of Lent, and this custom may still be followed. If not covered at this time, the images should be veiled or removed after the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday.
Given the historical context of the origin of this practice, there is no requirement to extend it to the home, school or other areas where sacred images are set up for devotional purposes.
Pursuant to our comments on the use of a statue of the Risen Christ at Eastertide (see April 20), a reader from Lagos, Nigeria, asked about statues during Lent. The question was: "Please, why do we cover up all the statutes and crucifixes in the church with purple cloth, two weeks [prior] to Easter? Do we extend the practice to our individual homes by covering all the statues and crucifixes in our offices, homes, etc.? Any historical explanation?"
Although the custom is evidently a sign of sadness and penance that goes well with the overall Lenten climate, the historical origin of the custom is probably found elsewhere.
In all probability the custom derives from a medieval usage of extending a large veil or curtain in front of the altar at the beginning of Lent, hiding it completely from view. This fabric, of which there is evidence from the ninth century, was called the cloth of hunger (Hungertuch) in Germany.
This veil was removed on proclaiming the words "The veil of the temple was rent in two" during the reading of the Passion on Holy Wednesday.
There are probably several reasons for this practice. First of all, it was a practical way of informing an illiterate population that Lent had begun. It might also have been a vestige of the ancient practice of expelling public penitents from the church at the beginning of Lent. In time, public penance disappeared, but with the advent of Ash Wednesday all Christians in a sense ritually entered into the order of penitents. It being no longer possible to expel everybody from the church, this was done symbolically by shrouding the Holy of Holies until all were reconciled with God at Easter.
Following the same principle, many churches in the later Middle Ages began to cover the statues and crosses from the beginning of Lent. In the 17th century the bishops' ceremonial manual limited the veiling to Passiontide or from the Fifth Sunday of Lent, and this custom may still be followed. If not covered at this time, the images should be veiled or removed after the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday.
Given the historical context of the origin of this practice, there is no requirement to extend it to the home, school or other areas where sacred images are set up for devotional purposes.
posted by Chipi Buenafe at
10:12 AM
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